Vacuum cleaner



Aug.` l2, 1969 w. E. BOYD 3,460,188

VACUUM CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 2e, 196e I F/y'. 2

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Aug. 12, 1969 w. E. BOYD 3,460,188

VACUUM CLEANER Filed April 26, 196e 2 sheets-sheet 2 @M @f far/Zay United States Patent O 3,460,188 VACUUM CLEANER Wilton E. Boyd, Mayfield Heights, Ohio, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 26, 1966, Ser. No. 545,280 Int. Cl. A471 /26, 9/04 US. Ci. -364 3 ClaimS This invention relates to vacuum cleaners, and more particularly, to a vacuum cleaner which is highly effective for cleaning hard surface floors as Well as carpeted floors.

Vacuum cleaners are necessary for household cleaning, and they are frequently used for cleaning carpeted floors. However, the extent of their use on hard surface uncarpeted floors has been somewhat limited because dirt particles deposited on such oors have not always been picked up by the suction air inlet of a vacuum cleaner, which is necessarily positioned at least a fraction of an inch above the oor. The dirt particles tend to stick to such a oor and sometimes cannot be dislodged by a strong suction air ow. Naturally, a vacuum cleaner which is effective for cleaning both carpeted and unearpeted floors is especially desirable.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide an improved vacuum cleaner construction which is very effective for cleaning hard surface fioors.

Another object of the invention is to provide an irnproved vacuum cleaner which is simple in structure and capable of being manufactured at low cost.

In accordance with one aspect of this invention, a vacuum cleaner having an electric motor and suction fan assembly is provided with a casing for enclosing the electric motor and suction fan. A suction air inlet is formed in the bottom wall of the casing, and a exible pickup strip is fixed to the casing behind the air inlet opening. The pickup strip has a very small angle of approach to a hard surface floor on which the vacuum cleaner may be positioned, and when the vacuum cleaner is moved forwardly the pickup strip retains its shape and relative position to the oor to dislodge and scoop up any dirt particles which it contacts to permit the dirt particles to be sucked into the vacuum cleaner through the air inlet opening. When the vacuum cleaner is drawn backwardly, the pickup strip retains its same general relative position to the floor and is suiciently flexible to the ride over dirt particles, some of the dirt particles are moved and others are flipped upwardly thereby allowing them to be sucked into the vacuum cleaner through the suction air inlet Y opening formed in the bottom wall.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the vacuum cleaner shown in FIG. l with the handle broken away for purposes of simplicity in illustration;

FIG. 3 is a partial side elevational view of the vacuum cleaner shown in FIG. 1 with parts of the casing shown broken away for illustrating internal portions of the cleaner;

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the vacuum 3,460,188 Patented Aug. 12, 1969 "ice cleaner shown in FIG. 1 with the rear portion broken away for purposes of clarity in illustration;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the vacuum cleaner shown in FIG. l; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view of my unique pickup strip construction.

Referring now to FIG. l, there is shown a vacuum cleaner generally designated by the reference numeral 10, embodying my improved construction for cleaning linoleum, asphalt tile, hard wood and other hard surface floors as well as soft surface carpeted floors. As shown, a handle 12 is pivotally mounted to the vacuum cleaner for moving the vacuum cleaner back and forth over a iioor to be cleaned.

A plurality of supporting wheels 14 are mounted for rotation on the vacuum cleaner, and the cleaner naturally assumes the position shown in FIG. 5 when it is operated on a hard floor surface 16. As shown, the cleaner includes a casing 18 having generally Vertical front, rear and side walls 20, 22, 24 and 26, respectively, and a generally horizontal bottom wall 27. A motor fan unit 28 is positioned inside of the casing for causing air to ow through an enlarged generally rectangular suction air inlet opening 30, through a filter bag 32, through the motor fan unit 28 and to exhaust from the casing, as shown by the arrows.

A rotary brush 34 is mounted in the suction air inlet opening 30 so as to be in contact with the hard oor surface 16 when the cleaner is in the position shown in FIG. 5. An endless belt 36 is provided for connecting the electric motor 28 with the brush 34 to drive the brush in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3. In other words, the brush bristles move from front to rear across the surface to be cleaned.

In accordance with my invention, the improved vacuum cleaner includes a unique pickup strip 36 for dislodging and scooping up dirt particles to permit them to `be drawn upwardly through the rectangular suction air inlet opening 30. The pickup strip 36 is preferably formed of polyurethane plastic or other suitable flexible material and is fixed to the casing behind the rectangular air inlet opening 30.

As shown more particularly in FIG. 5, a generally vertical wall 38 extends upwardly from the bottom wall 27 of the cleaner for connecting the pickup strip to the vacuum cleaner casing. The pickup strip includes a generally vertical wall portion 40 having a flat rear surface 42 for engagement with the flat front surface of vertical wall 38, and a transverse groove 43 is formed in the front surface of the wall portion 40 for receiving a metal backup plate 44. To complete the assembly, a plurality of rivets 46 or other suitable securing means extend through vertical wall 38, vertical wall portion 40 of the pickup strip and the backup plate 44.

The pickup strip also includes a second downwardly and forwardly extending wall portion 48 and a third wall portion 50 which extends downwardly and forwardly from the second wall portion 48. The wall portions 40, 48 and S0 are integrally formed with each other, and as shown more particularly in FIG. 6, the second wall portion 48 is tapered so that it is substantially the same thickness as wall portion 40 at its juncture with the vertical wall portion 40, and is relatively thin at its juncture with the third thin wall portion 50.

The second wall portion 48 of the pickup strip extends downwardly and forwardly at an angle of approximately 45 degrees with respect to the bottom Wall 27 of the cleaner, and the third wall portion 50 extends forwardly and downwardly from the second portion at an angle of approximately 10 degrees with respect to the bottom wall 27.

Both the pickup strip 36 and the backup plate 44 are elongated to extend from one side of the vacuum cleaner to the other side of the cleaner behind the entire width of the rectangular air inlet opening 30, as shown in FIG. 4. The backup plate 44 also includes a wall portion 52 which extends downwardly at approximately the same angle as the second downwardly extending wall portion 48 of the pickup strip in order to limit movement of the second wall portion 48 of the pickup strip about its juncture with the first wall portion 40 of the pickup strip.

With this unique construction, when the vacuum cleaner is pushed forwardly by an operator, the lower edge of the third wall portion 50 of the flexible pickup strip slides on and wipes the surface of the floor so that any dust or dirt particles which it contacts are scooped upwardly and are sucked into the air inlet opening 3G. During such forward movement, dirt particles will also be swept by the rotary brush 34. Some of these particles will be propelled tangentially rearwardly at a high velocity by the brush bristles, will strike the pickup strip, and will then be sucked into the air inlet opening. It can be appreciated that in the absence of my unique pickup strip the velocity of these particles would be too great for the air flow Ito suck them into the cleaner. Thus, the dirt would escape under bottom wall 27. Naturally, other dirt particles may be swept directly into the air inlet opening by the brush. Still other dirt particles may be simply agitated or pushed forwardly by the pickup strip before they are overcome by the suction air stream and sucked into the air inlet opening.

When the vacuum cleaner is pulled rearwardly by the opera-tor, the edge of the pickup strip slides on the surface of the floor at the same general relative position as it assumed during forward movement, and is sufiiciently flexible to ride over dirt particles without sliding them rearwardly to pile up behind the pickup strip. Thus, some of the dirt particles which it passes over are flipped upwardly in a kind of tiddlywinks action and others are agitated so that they are sucked into the air inlet opening by the suction air fiow.

When the vacuum cleaner is used for cleaning carpeted floors, the wheels 14 4will sink downwardly into the carpet rto an extent determined by the thickness and construction of the carpet. Of course, in the at rest position of the cleaner, downward movement of the cleaner will cause the pickup strip 36 to assume a very small angle with respect -to the carpet. As a matter of fact, the lower third wall portion G of the strip may lay flat on the carpet. Thus, when the vacuum cleaner is moved back and forth over the carpet, the friction between the pickup strip and the carpet may be so great that the pickup strip will not retain its usual relative position to the floor and may be flipped completely to the rear as the cleaner is moved forwardly so that portions of the strip may be located physically behind vertical wall 38. While the pickup strip 36 is not necessary for cleaning carpeted oors, it does serve to agitate the tufts of the carpet in order to dislodge dirt particles thereby permitting the particles to be drawn into the suction air inlet.

The pickup strip is constructed to be so flexible that it cannot be permanently deformed as a result of its movement over a carpeted floor. Accordingly, when the vacuum cleaner is repositioned on a hard surface iioor and moved back and forth, the pickup strip will reassume the position illustrated in FIG. 5.

In view of the foregoing, it can be appreciated that my unique construction for effectively cleaning hard surface fioors as well as carpeted floors comprises a minimum number of parts which -may be readily formed and connected to a vacuum cleaner. The flexible pickup strip 36 is an integrally molded one-piece member which is readily connected to the cleaner by the use of a metal backup plate and a few rivets.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the invention and therefore it is aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United Sta-tes is:

1. A manually movable household vacuum cleaner comprising:

(a) a casing having a generally fiat bottom wall generally parallel to the floor to be cleaned,

(b) an electric motor and a suction fan positioned in said casing, said motor, fan, and complete vacuum cleaner being so light in weight that the vacuum cleaner may be readily manually moved back and forth across the fioor by a housewife;

(c) a suction air inlet formed in said bottom wall; and

(d) a fiexible pickup strip fixed to said casing behind said air inlet opening, said pickup strip including a first generally vertical wall portion, said vertical wall portion being mounted on said cleaner casing above said bottom wall, a second forwardly and downwardly extending wall portion positioned at an angle of approximately 45 degrees with respect to said bottom wall, and a third wall portion integrally formed with said second wall portion and extending forwardly and downwardly therefrom at an angle of approximately l0 degrees with respect to said bottom wall, said second and third wall portions extending freely below said bottom wall so that when said vacuum cleaner is moved forwardly on a bare uncarpeted floor, the third wall portion of the pickup strip rides on the surface of the floor at an angle of approximately l0 degrees with respect to the fioor to scoop up any dirt which it contacts so that the dirt may be sucked into the vacuum cleaner through the air inlet opening, said pickup strip being sufficiently flexible so that when the cleaner is drawn backwards, the pickup strip rides over dirt particles allowing them to be acted on by the brush and air flow Ithrough said air inlet opening.

2. A vacuum cleaner as defined in claim 1 wherein a general vertical wall extends upwardly from said bottom wall behind said air inlet opening and the first generally vertical wall portion of the pickup strip is fixed to said generally vertical wall; and a rigid backup strip is fixed to the front surface of said pickup strip, said backup strip including a first generally vertical wall portion and a second wall portion extending downwardly and forwardly therefrom at an angle of approximately 45 degrees with respect to said bottom wall.

3. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

(a) a casing having a generally flat bottom wall, an

upwardly extending front wall, two side walls and a rear wall;

(b) a plurality of supporting wheels mounted for rotation on said casing;

(c) an electric motor and suction fan positioned in said casing adjacent said rear wall;

(d) a suction air inlet opening formed in Ithe forward portion of said generally flat bottom wall;

(e) a rotary brush positioned in said casing adjacent said suction air inlet opening driven by said motor, said brush having an axis which is generally parallel to said front and bottom walls and generally perpendicular to said side walls;

(f) a generally vertical wall extending upwardly from said bottom wall behind said brush adjacent said air inlet opening;

(g) a exible pickup strip xed to said generally vertical wall, said strip including a rst generally ver- Itical wall portion for engagement with said generally vertical wall, a second downwardly extending wall portion extending forwardly at an angle of approxi-5 mately 45 degrees with respect to said bottom wall,

and a third Wall portion integrally formed with said second wall portion and extending forwardly and downwardly therefrom at an angle of approximately 10 degrees with respect to said bottom wall;

(h) a forwardly extending groove formed in the front surface of the first wall portion of said pickup strip;

(i) a rigid backup strip flxed to the front surface of said pickup strip, said backup strip including a iirst generally vertical wall portion for insertion within the groove formed in said pickup strip, and a second wall portion extending downwardly and forwardly therefrom for controlling movement of said pickup strip as it wipes against the oor which is being cleaned, the length of the second wall portion of said backup strip being approximately one-half the length of said second wall portion of said pickup strip, said pickup strip extending downwardly so that when said vacuum cleaner is moved forwardly on a bare, uncarpeted floor, the third Wall portion of the pickup strip rides on the surface of the oor at an angle of approximately 10 degrees with respect to the oor to scoop up any dirt which it contacts so that the dirt may be sucked into the vacuum cleaner through the air inlet opening, said pickup strip being sufficiently flexible so that when the cleaner is drawn backwards, the pickup strip rides over dirt particles allowing them to be acted on by the brush and air ilow through said air inlet opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

